The little pocket on jeans is called a watch pocket, originally designed to hold pocket watches. It was first used with the original Levis "waist overalls" jeans in 1890. The pocket was intended to hold a watch, which was a common accessory for men in the late 1800s. The pocket was designed to keep the watch safe and protected. Today, the pocket is still included in jeans as an homage to the pocket watch and to maintain the integrity of the original design. Although the pocket is too small to be useful for most people today, it remains a feature of all kinds of different jeans, a vestige of a time when jeans were strictly casual pants.